Travel across Europe as king of the road, a trucker who delivers important cargo across impressive distances! With dozens of cities to explore from the UK, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and many more, your endurance, skill and speed will all be pushed to their limits.

Recommended By Curators

August 2

Next week, literally a whole busload of SCS Software employees will travel to Cologne, Germany, to visit the largest European games fair gamescom.

We hope to have a lot of fun there enjoying the expo - checking out the latest trends in games industry - but we are also looking forward to showing a bit of our upcoming American Truck Simulator there, kindly presented at the booth of our German publishing partner astragon Entertainment. Come see the game in Hall 8.1, booth A 020!

Scheduling details are still being finalized, but the plans for our gamescom presence include live demos of American Truck Simulator, a press conference during the press-day, an autograph session with the game makers, and even a couple TV interviews.

It is always heart-warming to see how much attention our truck sim games are now getting compared to the humble beginnings we had in this niche genre over a decade ago. Big thanks for this must go out to our ever-growing player community and its impact. We are very proud that we have recently crossed the mark of 2,000,000 activated copies of Euro Truck Simulator 2 on Steam - as independently confirmed by SteamSpy.

One of the highlights of next week for us should also be an American Truck Simulator driving & autograph session with Squirrel. Paul a.k.a Squirrel is the YouTuber and streamer with probably the largest reach when it comes to covering our games. This will be his first encounter with ATS, and we are very curious to hear his opinion. Here is the Twitter announcement.

Gamescom will also be an opportunity for us to do the first extensive test of G29, the new steering wheel from Logitech. A couple of the wheels are generously provided to us for use at the expo by Logitech, so the visitors will be able to see if the new model combined with our truck sim can further improve on the rock solid experience of its G27 predecessor.

July 28

It may look as if we are trying to ride the current dino craze, but in fact this paint job set was put on our wishlist almost a year ago. Dinosaurs were a clear choice when we tried to ask our own kids for a suggestion on what to put on the trucks. We believe that the resulting paint jobs will make them happy, and perhaps strike a chord with some of you as well. ;)

Reviews

“With its stellar gameplay and presentation, Euro Truck Simulator 2 set a new standard for the simulation genre.”
95/100 – Gaming Nexus

“There are titles in the simulation market which can be sold on the novelty factor alone, but tend to be disappointing games. Euro Truck Simulator 2 is not one of them, it is strangely cathartic, engaging and relaxing.”
True PC Gaming

Steam Greenlight

About This Game

Travel across Europe as king of the road, a trucker who delivers important cargo across impressive distances! With dozens of cities to explore from the UK, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and many more, your endurance, skill and speed will all be pushed to their limits. If you’ve got what it takes to be part of an elite trucking force, get behind the wheel and prove it!

Key Features:

Transport a vast variety of cargo across more than 60 European cities.

Run your own business which continues to grow even as you complete your freight deliveries.

Thousands of miles of real road networks with hundreds of famous landmarks and structures.

World of Trucks

Take advantage of additional features of Euro Truck Simulator 2 by joining our online community on World of Trucks, our center for virtual truckers all around the world interested in Euro Truck Simulator 2 and future SCS Software's truck simulators.

Use in-game Photo Mode to capture the best moments and share them with thousands of people who love trucks.

Favorite the images you like the most and return to them anytime in the future.

Discuss the screenshots with everyone using World of Trucks.

See the best images hand-picked by the game creators in Editor's Pick updated almost every day. Try to get your own screenshot on this list!

It's very hard to hype this game up. You get into a truck with some cargo to deliver and hit the road accross a scaled down version of Europe. Over time you gain experience for things, like longer distances, more valuable cargo, etc. You can eventually buy your own truck(s), hire other drivers and expand your trucking empire and stuff.

But basically, it's about driving heavy, sluggish trucks. I am having difficulties putting into words why any of this is fun. Perhaps fun isn't the right word at all.

It's relaxing most of the time, satisfying, and sometimes tense.

There's something in there about small moments. The moment where you pull out of the loading dock with your frozen peas or whatnot and find the highway. The moment where the countryside changes and you cross borders. The moment where the signs change and the language is different. The moment where you know you're almost there and are about to arrive. The moment where somewhere in the middle, it rained for a while, or got really dark. Or both. The moment where you missed your exit somewhere in belgium. The moment where you discovered you could listen to actual internet radio from within your truck, from a station that matches the country you're gently passing through.

This is probably not something you'll want to sit at for multiple hours, but if you're anything like me, you'll keep coming back to it, running a delivery once in a while, because it's relaxing, and the moments are tantalizing.

Oh also, there's a multiplayer mod. It's all of this except once in a while you will pass another guy going in the opposite direction. You'll both cheerfully honk your horns in greeting, then continue on your respective ways. I guess that's also another moment.

I am actually fairly excited about all things VR and the Occulus rift for a multitude of reasons and games I'd like to experience with it, but my deepest secret about it is that I am really looking forward to playing ETS2 when the consumer version lands. Seriously. That's how much I enjoy this game.

Except well, not. But it's a lot of fun, and it definitely gives the feeling of a completely open world that's just ready for you to explore. Hop right in a truck and start hauling freight for others, and earn enough money to buy your own fleet of vehicles and keep more of the profits to yourself.

It's really two games in one, because in addition to the fairly robust truck driving simulation, there's a pretty great business management simulation as well where you can play some kind of Trucking Tycoon and grow a small business into a profitable little empire of trucks and drivers all across Europe.

I have to admit, Euro Truck Simulator 2 really surprised me with just how fun it is to play. It's pretty challenging to get the hang of at first, but once you do, it's a pretty enjoyable (and even relaxing) experience. The thrill of discovery — and the desire for a little more cash to pay off loans, hire drivers, buy new trucks, expand garages, and customize rigs — keeps me taking just "one more job" again and again.

School, if you’re still working your way through the education system you have my sympathies.Sure, it’s important, you need an education, if you couldn’t read you wouldn’t be here with me right now, but it does have a huge downside.It’s dull; there are a hundred other things you’d rather be doing. You’re forced to go there every day and you don’t get paid for it, they even test you to judge your intellect against your peers.

Then there are the cliques, the cool kids, the jocks, the nerds, it’s a social minefield of awkwardness.As if being trapped there all day isn’t enough, they even give you work they expect you to do at home!School was a pressure filled, judgemental nightmare and one which I was glad to survive.

Do you know what else sucks?

Work, sure you’ve survived the “best days of your life” and now you’re out in the real world.People are treating you like a grown up (not that you feel any older or wiser than you did at school).Statistically you’ve probably found yourself in a “ground-hog day” of 9-5 soul destroying office mediocrity, you’ve got a boss you don’t like and a desk you can never leave.Sure you’re being paid now, but the “bank of mom and dad” has closed.You don’t think you’re being paid enough for what you do anyway and there’s always a relentless pile of bills demanding your hard earned money.If you are lucky enough to have a little money left to buy a game or two at the end of the month, you almost certainly won’t have the free time to actually play them.You know I miss school; they were the best days of my life....

Greener Grass

I often sit at work, questioning my poor decision making skills which have bought me to my particular running lane in the rat race.There must be plenty of jobs out there which don’t chain you to a desk all day whilst “the metaphorical man” breathes down your neck.Surely there are people who aren’t trapped in the same “Yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir” tedium in which I’ve somehow managed to imprison myself.

Zen Simulator

But I have managed to find a port in the storm that is my existence, a bubble of calm escapism which grants a little respite to my jaded soul.This soul medicine comes in the form of what I like to call the “Zen Simulator”.You know the sort of game where you can do something repetitive, something that doesn’t require too much thought but still rewards you for your efforts.

Farming “Zen-ulator”

Farming Simulator 2015 is a great example of a “Zen Simulator”, you trundle around in a tractor ploughing your fields, planting your crops and generally reaping what you sow.The “reward hook” is the money you get from selling your produce to buy better tractors to trundle around in and more fields to tend.It’s a million miles away from the adrenalin fuelled FPS titles I find myself playing at the weekends,The Zen simulator is the perfect genre to escape into after a hard day of work or school and now I’ve discovered that driving a truck can be just as therapeutic as chugging around the countryside in a tractor.

Euro Truck “Zen-ulator” 2

Euro Truck Simulator 2 is another perfect example of a “Zen Sim”.You start the game running delivery contracts for other people.You can peruse a list jobs requesting cargo to be picked from and delivered to various locations around Europe.You pick a job from the list, (your choice might not only be based on the payout of a job, I’ve found myself picking contracts just because I like the idea of driving to particular delivery destination. ) then you find yourself sitting in the rig provided by your employer, trailer all hooked up and ready to go. They’ve even already set the sat nav. for you!

Drink and Drive

The core of Euro Truck Simulator 2 is spent driving along the highways and byways of Europe.This is a driving simulator, not a racing game; you’ll want to take care of whatever Big-Rig you find yourself in.Damage it and the repair costs will come out of your fee.You’ll also want to drive responsibly; running red lights will cost you, as will getting caught by speed cameras.Why would you want to rush anyway when you’ve got some beautiful European scenery to drink in as you drive?

It’s about the Journey, Not the Destination

The scenery is where Euro Truck Simulator 2 shines, this is a game that understands it’s the journey that’s important, your destination is just another way point to pause at.As you put your “pedal to the metal” and open your rig up on the motorways of Europe you’ll be treated to a lush and changing landscape racing passed your windscreen.Don’t get too distracted looking at the pretty fields of sunflowers though or you might miss your exit (or worse hit another vehicle and damage your truck!)

A Continent of Possibilities

There are 69 European cities present in the vanilla game spread across a dozen countries.(You can add more via DLC too!)Each city has its own unique real world land marks or iconic buildings present, you can often see them looming over other city buildings as you wind your way through the suburbs.It’s a really nice touch to be able to recognise which city you’re approaching from the skyline without having to check the sat nav. or map.

Don’t go into this thinking it’s an exact recreation of Europe though or you’ll be disappointed.Euro Truck Simulator 2 adopts the same stance to mapping the European Continent as “The Crew” does to mapping North America.What you have here is a condensed version of Europe, which is probably just as well, I think driving from Southern Italy to Northern England in real time might take a little while longer than the normal hour or two I have spare in the evenings.

Points on your License

It’s not just about driving around making money either (well it is, but there are extra game mechanics to keep things interesting).There’s an experience based progression system here too.As you drive around, completing deliveries, you’ll earn points which you can spend to unlock new capabilities.You can invest points several different areas, for example, you could focus your experience points in haulage distant which will make longer distance contracts available to you or you could invest points in licences for various types of hazardous cargo if you like the idea of trucking some dangerous chemicals around Europe.

The Boss of You

When you’ve amassed enough wealth from “working for the man” you can invest in your own truck (there are plenty of models and varieties to choose from) and start your own haulage company.This not only gives you more freedom with regards to delivery contracts, but also gives you the chance to invest future earnings in upgrading your rig, whether that is an engine upgrade or go faster stripes, that’s up to you.There are plenty of stylish paint jobs you can pick as DLC too, should you like a more personalised look to your truck of choice.

Drive Safe

Being your own boss isn’t all parts and paint jobs either, it comes with an extra layer of responsibility too.It’ll be up to you to pull in at the services and fill up the gas tank from time to time now; running out of gas whilst on a long haul is not a good idea.It’s also not a good idea to keep driving without a rest too, everyone needs sleep and you’re no exception so remember to keep an eye on your fatigue levels and pull in for a nap when you need one!You’re also going to have to pay for maintenance on your truck now, so it’s even more important ... <...snip...>

( To view the full review (and others) please take the time to visit review-well.com )

Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2) is a 2012 vehicle simulation game developed and self-published by SCS Software. It features a massive game world spanning most of mainland Europe, the British Isles, and Scandinavia with each of the cities being connected by the beautifully recreated road systems such as the German autobahn roads. The game also offers detailed simulation mechanics for hardcore sim players while also offering an alternative 'automatic' mode for the more casual players or beginners such as myself.

Although the game's primary and obvious gameplay mechanic consist of driving across Europe, it does feature additional mechanics to give the game a little more spice such as; a progression (level up) system where each level unlocks new cargos, trucks, upgrades and delivery conditions; Truck Company Management system where you manage a trucking company by purchasing / upgrading garages, trucks and hiring drivers to use them.

Start the game as a driver for hire and earn enough money to build your own trucking empire that will span the entirety of Europe.

PROS:

+ Beautiful graphics with detailed truck interiors, world environment, and road systems+ Good sound effects and assets+ Europe is vast and well detailed giving individuality to each location you visit+ Good selection of trucks with a good upgrade and customization system+ Various cargo and delivery conditions+ Surprisingly contains a relevant progression (level-up) system+ Garage and Truck Company management system+ Offers different game modes to cater for both hardcore sim players, casuals, and beginners+ Easy modding capabilities+ Very fast load times (Even on a mechanical hard drive)+ Live European Radio Streaming or custom music playlist using the in-game radio feature+ Has a demo in the Store page for anyone who's not sure if this genre is to their liking

CONS:

- Some micro-stuttering despite the FPS being above 60- Low number of pedestrians makes some parts of the cities a bit empty- Poor reward for manually parking a trailer (they could have at least given 100xp for it)- Anti-aliasing is limited to only MLAA

NEUTRAL:

+/- The game's overall concept is for a narrow/niche audience.+/- The AI needs to attend a Road Courtesy and Discipline class. (Although this does add to the immersion since the player will have to exercise due diligence while driving)

CONCLUSION:

GREAT SIMULATION GAME. To be completely honest, I didn't think much of this game when I first bought it because I did not see the appeal in driving trucks around in a game without a plot or a story. I was, however, pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoyed the experience because what the game lacks in story (being a simulation game and all), it makes up for in solid gameplay, excellent presentation, and player-friendly game mechanics. Playing this game is surprisingly stress relieving and gives off a zen-like feeling.

I can RECOMMEND this game at full price if you're a hardcore simulation fan but if not, I suggest you purchase this game on a sale. Either way however, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND purchasing the Delux Bundle which includes all available DLCs and Expansion Packs as well as SCS' other games such as Bus Simulator, Trucks & Trailers, and Euro Truck Simulator (1).

The game carries with it a relatively high system requirement so be sure to check that out before making a purchase.